Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to plumbing tools and hand tools for installing sink equipment. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a garbage disposal installation tool in which the garbage disposal can be supported by the tool without requiring the installer to manually support the disposal while connecting the same to the drain.
Garbage disposals were well known devices in the art that grind solid waste entered into a sink drain to allow the waste to be evacuated through the household plumbing. These devices are means of disposing solid, biodegradable food products using the plumbing system and wastewater treatment plants as a means of processing the waste. These devices reduce landfill waste and capitalize on existing treatment of wastewater for processing organic material, and further provide a convenient way for a consumer to remove food waste from their home in immediate fashion, as opposed to storing it in a waste bin that can attract animals and pests, cause undesirable smells, and contaminate waste receptacles.
Garbage disposal units are secured below a sink drain in between the drain and the trap below the sink, providing a means to grind food products into smaller, more fluid particles that can be evacuated through the existing plumbing. Installing these devices involves replacing a standard sink drain with one that is compatible with a disposal unit, connecting the disposal unit to the drain, wiring the unit, and then securing the plumbing thereto. This exercise is well understood in the plumbing arts and astute, do-it-yourself homeowners. It is also well understood that garbage disposals tend to be large, electromechanical devices having a non-negligible weight during installation.
During the process of connecting the upper portion of the garbage disposal unit to the sink drain, the installer is required to lift and support the disposal unit while fastening the same. This may be alleviated via more clever attachment means, however generally the user has to either support the disposal with one hand while securing fasteners with another, or utilize a support stand below the disposal unit during installation. Neither of these alternatives is attractive, as it can be difficult to coordinate the attaching of the unit while holding the same, while also the underside of a sink tends generally to be cluttered, making the use of a support stand not advantageous or even feasible.
The present invention discloses a new tool in the art of garbage disposal units that facilitates installation without consuming space below the sink, and one that can support the disposal unit without interaction by the user while fastening the same to the sink drain. The device comprises a tool body that is positioned through the sink drain, and includes a rotatable garbage disposal support member at the lower end thereof and a drain bridge element along the length thereof. The garbage disposal support member is a rotatable member supporting the garbage disposal by its upper aperture, while the drain bridge element is adapted to bear against the sink drain and span the diameter thereof. The drain bridge element supports the tool body and the disposal unit from the sink drain, allowing the installer to fasten the disposal unit. The relative position of the drain bridge element to the disposal unit controls the position of the disposal unit, while the pressure applied to the sink drain can facilitate sealing of the same if the sink drain is replaced in the installation procedure. The tool of the present invention advances the art and provides a novel means of supporting a garbage disposal unit during installation that reduces strain on the part of the user and does not consume space below the sink.
Description of the Prior Art
Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to garbage disposal unit support devices and installation tools. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications, and generally relate to devices that support disposal units from below, wherein a support is provided that lifts or otherwise supports a disposal unit from beneath the sink. The following is a list of devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present invention, and further highlighting the drawbacks existing in the prior art.
One such device that exemplifies the art is U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,460 to Irwin, which discloses an apparatus for installing and removing a sink mounted garbage disposal, wherein the device supports the garbage disposal from the underside thereof. The device comprises a base that is positioned along the floor underneath the sink, a telescoping post upstanding from the base with means of locking the height thereof, and a disposer support platform assembly at the top of the telescoping post. The support platform assembly supports the disposer from below as the installer connects the upper portion of the disposal to the sink drain.
In a similar fashion as the Irwin device, other garbage disposal support devices and installation tools are presented in the art that support disposal units from the underside thereof and utilize the floor below the sink as a means to support the disposal during installation. These include U.S. Pat. No. 7,024,743 to Heaton, U.S. Pat. No. 7,685,689 to Del Castello, U.S. Pat. No. 7,401,392 to Ramsey, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,726,631 to Noe. Heaton utilizes an upstanding and extendable threaded rod to position a garbage disposal support adapter in an opportune position during installation. Similarly, Del Castello provides a threaded rod extending upwards from a base, wherein there is further provided a flat top platform and a lever bar that transforms rotation thereof into axial motion of the threaded rod, and thus repositioning of the flat top platform. Ramsey advances the art by introducing a hydraulic jack as a means to extend a garbage disposal from a base, while finally Noe provides a screw jack mechanism and a notched platform that accommodates the electrical wiring of the garbage disposal.
These prior art devices share common drawbacks that limit their use, and simultaneously do not address the needs of supporting a garbage disposal under a sink during installation where the space under the sink is generally limited, cluttered, or occupied by water catch basins. These prior art devices require substantial space below the sink, and are useful only when there is sufficient clearance therein and between the disposal unit and the sink drain. These devices provide a lifting support from below the disposal unit, wherein most comprise stands or jack assemblies that rely on the sink floor as a means of support.
The present invention, by contrast, incorporates a structure that is adapted to support a disposal unit from the sink drain itself, wherein the body of the tool is inserted through the sink drain and the disposal unit is suspended therefrom. This eliminates the need for a minimum space requirement under the sink, as the tool consumes space within the drain and an area thereabove. The tool comprises a sink drain bridge element threadably attached thereto, whereby the bridge element bears against the sink drain and supports a disposal unit to be installed or being removed via a rotatable disposal unit support element engaged through the upper opening of the unit. During installation or removal, the user can rotate the handle of the device, which changes the proportion of the tool body above and below the bridge element, thereby raising or lowering the disposal underneath the sink drain. The user does not have to support both the tool and the disposal unit during operation, and is free to secure or remove the disposal unit when the tool is being deployed.
It is submitted that the present invention is substantially divergent in design elements from the prior art, and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing garbage disposal installation devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.